Mass Effect: Ascendance
by Ladyamesindy
Summary: The past is a path to the future. For Micah Shepard, this path diverged suddenly, unexpectedly, and repeatedly. What began in security, safety and surrounded by family and friends has become a journey marked by solitude, loneliness and insecurity. Or has it? First installment of the Commander Micah Shepard series.
1. Grains of Sand

_I saw the universe, I held it in my hand_

_The planets and the stars, merely grains of sand_

_The darkness that I knew is no more_

_The sun will shine for me, of that I can be sure_

_This is the day, the day of my ascendance _

_A time for life, a time for independence_

Verse 1 lyrics to Asia's _Never Again_

_December 2171, London_

The trip would end up a pointless one in the long run. They always were. However, his father had insisted, and his mother cajoled, and in the end his father _had_ ended up having to travel to London for an important meeting with the Alliance brass anyway, so ... why not? The hospital _was_ there, touting to be the best of the best when it came to helping with such things. Odds were they wouldn't be able to do anything, but why not give it a shot, right? Besides, his mother had never seen London and her birthday was coming up soon. Why disappoint?

So they'd boarded the shuttle and made the seemingly never ending chain of stopovers before finally arriving in the city itself. Almost immediately, his father was called away to report to his superiors leaving him and his mother alone. Well, that had figured to be part of the plan. It usually did, no matter where they journeyed. Alliance business was Alliance business, after all. When the time came for him to report to the hospital, he'd insisted his mother stay at the hotel, he was nineteen, capable of going in on his own, reporting in, sending her a message once he was settled and knew when the tests would begin. Thankfully, she had agreed to his plan. He'd hugged her, kissed her cheek and hurried off with his duffle, determined not to look back. He didn't need her deciding to join him after all, worrying and fussing over him anymore than necessary.

The walk had taken longer than he'd expected, but it was nothing he couldn't manage. If there was one thing he'd picked up at BAaT, it was the desire to keep in shape, that it helped with keeping the biotics regulated properly which in turn led to keeping the headaches under control. Or at least as under control as they could be given the side effects of his implant.

That was why he was here. To see if anything could be done regarding the horrible migraines he had been suffering since receiving the L2 implant four years before. He was one of the lucky ones, he supposed. Some of the L2 recipients had similar problems, but the overall majority had it much worse. He shuddered at the thought of what could have happened. At least with his dad serving in the Alliance he had half a chance of getting some sort of help, though.

Checking into the hospital was the easy part, he found. Show his identification badge, receive the plastic bracelet with the matching information implanted in it, and then be shown to his room. The nurse who escorted him told him when meals were served and that he'd basically be on his own until the next day when his doctor would arrive and the preliminary tests would begin. Curfew was at eleven.

Seeing that he had most of the afternoon to himself, he began a methodical self-guided tour of the hospital. Beginning with his floor, he expanded first to the level above and then the one below until he was challenged by one of the security guards who insisted he cease. He considered arguing with the man, claiming it was a security measure should there be a need for a sudden evacuation or the like, but in the end he backed off his stance and returned to his floor. No sense in causing undue trouble. God forbid it get back to his father or his father's superiors even.

He was on his way back to his room, passing through the floor lobby when he first noticed signs of something out of the ordinary. He nearly missed it at first, though. Oh, he'd spotted the dark auburn haired girl with the brilliant green eyes standing alone over by the large-paned windows. What she'd been staring at was beyond him, but at the sound of the elevator opening, she'd turned slightly, her eyes finding his. For the briefest of moments, he'd been almost shocked at the expression he'd seen in them. It was familiar, recognizable certainly, and it hit him to the core.

Thing was, he couldn't put just one name to it. Fear. Loneliness. Pain. Isolation. Desperation. All of those applied, and more. He offered a friendly smile, the hope being it might help … somehow, some way. He'd been there before. He _knew_. No one should have to go through that, or at least not alone. But in the blink of an eye, she'd hidden it away so that as she turned back to stare out the window again, he found himself wondering if he'd actually seen it in the first place or if it had just been a figment of his imagination.

He turned down the hall to his left, the one leading around to the side hall that housed his room, attempting to put the girl out of his mind, but before he could do so, even before he'd made it more than a dozen strides away from the lobby, he heard the scuffle beginning behind him. He didn't think much of it at first. There were plenty of patients who offered resistance to staff or treatment. Sometimes he could understand, other times it was harder to wrap his head around it. In the end, though, they usually were talked into the treatment. But this time it was something else calling to him, something else resonating through him that he recognized, something that had reached him deep inside and had him turning without consciously thinking to, retracing his steps quickly. Something that had him _knowing_ it was her.

"Don't touch me!"

Part growl, part threat, but wholly raw, visceral emotion, his eyes were searching for her from the moment he neared the lobby again. However, where he'd expected to find her being guided away perhaps, or at least forcibly restrained in some manner, instead he discovered something quite the contrary. Upon the floor, face down, lay the male nurse who, presumably, had been the focus of her outburst. And she, petite thing that she was, knelt with her knee across his back, restraining him. Head raised, he saw her scanning about, her arm drawn back as if to attack, the slightest hint of blue glow building around her. Acceptance came with recognition.

Realizing he had limited time in which to act, he stepped forward. At first certain members of the medical staff attempted to restrain him, but he quickly pulled free. "If you won't help her, I will," he told them simply. When they refused to move in closer, he took that as his cue.

Wild, deep green eyes found his, the snarl at her lips almost visible in those depths. Approaching cautiously, like he would a wounded dog or frightened child, he maintained his eye contact with her. He saw a flicker of recognition behind them, hoped that was a positive sign, and continued moving forward ever so slowly.

"Stop there."

He halted when she asked, moved his hands out before him so she could see he meant no harm. He wasn't quite certain what he should say, how he should say it. All he wanted was to be certain she got out of this situation without being injured. Why that was important to him, he wasn't sure, he only knew that it was. "Can we talk?" he heard himself asking quietly. "I want to help you."

That, he noted, had her snarling a bit more, nostrils flaring, eyes darkening, lips curling. "Why?" she demanded.

Hands still out before him, he allowed the power to slowly build, just forming a translucent glow around his right hand and forearm. "Because we are the same," he replied.

She cursed herself silently. She could almost see her father frowning at her in reaction. _Juniper, you know better than that. We don't use our abilities to harm people, we use them to protect._

_But I was protecting myself, dad!_ Her internal child groaned at the thought of displeasing the one person to whom she'd always looked up. Between them, they had been training her to follow in his footsteps, even though she seemed to be a most unlikely candidate. For years, he'd been showing her ways to become faster, stronger, smarter than the rest. To figure out the ways in which to be better and to thus have a chance at success. But then he'd died, leaving her in a world of pain and isolation with a mother who was having her own issues coping with his loss. A world that she had nearly given up on just a few months before when her biotic abilities had suddenly manifested. How could she go on alone without his guidance and input in her daily life?

Eyes now upon the boy before her, she tilted her head slightly and watched as he demonstrated his own biotic abilities. Either he'd seen her attack just moments before, or … Her eyes caught the slight blue tinge around her hand then and she realized how he'd known. Confused, her eyes drew together as she stared at the betraying limb. She hadn't felt it, hadn't even known it was building again. But he … Her eyes lifted to look at him again. He seemed to be able to control his abilities. Certainly better than she could. How did he do that?

He took another step closer and instinct had her backing up a step, a move that had her rising from the man on the floor. Shoving hands out before her in a motion designed to ward him away, she warned, "Don't!" She didn't want to hurt him, too. Hell, she hadn't even meant to hurt the nurse, but when he'd reached for her arm, supposedly just to attach the identification bracelet around it, she'd reacted on instinct - which had caused her biotics to flare. They always seemed most violent when her emotions rose unexpectedly.

The boy hesitated, his steps pausing for a long moment. "I won't hurt you," he promised quietly. Her eyes met his, saw a kindness there and it was _she_ who hesitated this time. "You're scared," he continued quietly, voice low enough so only she could hear it, "I get that. I've been in your shoes before. You don't know what to expect."

She bit her lower lip, drawing it between her teeth as she stared at him. "Yeah," she whispered in reply. Eyes dropping, she noted that her sleeves were beginning to creep up her arm. Reacting quickly, she tugged them back down, edges caught firmly in the grip of her fists. The last thing she needed was for anyone to see the bandages there.

He moved a step closer then. She stood still, allowing him in closer. Then he took another. Her eyes lifted to his again, searching them. Still noting that intense look of concern there, she allowed him into her personal space without argument. "Do you have a room yet?" she heard him ask. She nodded. "Why don't we go there?" he suggested. "A place to talk, away from everyone else. Would that be okay?"

She worried her lip some more before glancing around his shoulders. Somehow she didn't think the hospital staff would be that forgiving for what she'd done. But the man she'd knocked down had moved away, or been moved away. She didn't see him anywhere nearby just then. Eyeing another group of nurses, she saw one of them, a lieutenant if she was reading the rank properly, nodding in her direction. "Your room is ready," the woman told her. She dared a few steps closer, but paused before getting too close. Reaching out, she handed over the identification bracelet to the boy who reached for it. "Just down the hall on your left."

"You - you'll just … let me go?" she asked while swallowing tightly.

The nurse nodded. "It was an accident," she assured her with a friendly smile. "It happens more often than you'd think around here."

She glanced up at the boy. He was smiling too, a smile that reached those caramel colored eyes and helped her feel … safe. "Both of us?" she asked.

He nodded. "If that's what you'd like, yes."

With one last glance at the nurse, who nodded her agreement as well, she relented. "Okay."

He stepped in beside her, his arm moving lightly to her shoulders and she allowed him to guide her away from the lobby, from all the strangers staring at her. They followed the nurse who led them quickly down the hall, only stepping aside when she was certain they knew which room was their destination. By the time he was guiding her inside, the woman had left them alone.

Warily, she stepped into the room, thankful to see that it was a private one. Her bag, she noted, had been set aside on one of the chairs over near the window. Probably when she'd first arrived and they'd taken it from her. Tugging at the sleeves to her hoodie once more, she stepped further into the room and began to investigate. Her arms crossed over her chest as she approached the window and stared outside and down at the courtyard below. There was a dusting of snow on the ground, not enough to stick really, but enough to be blown about by the wind and to indicate that it was definitely chilly out there.

"Better now?"

She took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then released it slowly before turning to face him. He was still across the room, barely even inside, she noticed. She felt a small smile pull at her lips at the thought of his consideration. "Yes," she told him quietly. Then, nodding at one of the empty chairs, she added, "You can come inside, you know. I won't bite." She winked at him with this last and finally allowed him to see the smile.

His chuckle and the smile that followed went a long way to setting her at ease. Moving further into the room, he replied, "Oh, I don't know," he responded lightly, teasingly. "I'm pretty good at judging when I'm outclassed."

She blinked. _Outclassed?_ Her confusion must have shown because he was nodding his head in the direction of the lobby then. "I didn't see it, but I'd say your biotics must be pretty good without any amplification if you took that guy down on your own."

She couldn't stop the blush that flushed her cheeks just then. "I … um … that wasn't all biotics," she explained.

"Oh?"

Shaking her head, she added, "I tried pushing him away from me, but I think he was too big or something." Her eyes met his then. "I … flipped him."

He seemed confused for a moment. "Flipped?"

She felt a smile pulling at her lips again. Reaching out her hand, she waited to see if he'd take it. When he did, she turned, tugged lightly but not enough to actually launch him, and then nodded towards the floor. Straightening again, she told him, "I've been studying martial arts since I was about six. I used his own weight against him and flipped him over. My … my father always said it would come in handy someday." She felt that sudden strong pull of depression that always tugged at her whenever she thought of the man who had given her life. Gnawing at her lip once more, she blinked back quick tears.

To say that he was amazed by this petite girl standing before him would have been an understatement. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders, but she'd not only used unaugmented biotics against a man who was nearly twice her size, but then announced that it wasn't the biotics that had laid him low but her abilities with martial arts.

He saw tears forming and understood quickly that her father must be a touchy subject for her. "It sounds like he was right."

She glanced away quickly, but he saw that she nodded. Searching for a safer topic, he thought for a moment then ventured, "So … you're here to get your implant?"

Another nod. "Yeah. First that, then send me off for training … then into the Alliance, I guess." She shrugged, but remained facing away from him. "At this point, I just … I don't know."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

She turned to face him then, an arm moving quickly to swipe across her eyes. "I always planned to join the Alliance, like dad," she explained. "From the time I was five, he began helping me prepare. When it became clear I wouldn't be able to be a marine, a soldier like him, he began teaching me other ways in which I could use my skills so I could still serve. But I always wanted to be front line like him, you know?"

He nodded. She stepped around him, wandering over towards the bed where he saw her pull herself up onto the mattress and cross her legs. She glanced over at him, paused for a long moment, then patted the wide open space beside her. Offering her a smile of thanks, he moved to join her. "Why can't you be front line now?" he asked as he sat.

She sighed. "Mom doesn't think it's safe," she muttered. "She thinks I should stick to the navy, work my way up and serve on ships like she does." She sighed again. "Now … I don't know. The biotics thing, it just … makes things more difficult, I guess."

He frowned. "How so?" he challenged. "The Alliance has soldiers who are biotics. Might be the safest place for biotics these days, actually."

"Hmm, maybe," she acknowledged. "I don't know. I guess it all depends how I react to the implant." She lifted her eyes to meet his. With a soft yet slightly nervous laugh, she added, "Don't mind me … I guess I'm just nervous."

He offered her a smile. "It's okay," he promised. "They'll do the surgery in the morning probably, get you into recovery where they'll let your parents come see you, and then spend a few days making sure the amp takes with no problems." He saw her wince slightly. "What's wrong?"

Her smile was less than enthusiastic or reassuring. "Nothing. Just … I'm here alone. Dad died a few years ago, and mom's ship is deployed. Two days ago they let me off on the Citadel with a ticket to London … and here I am." She shrugged. "It's not like I can't do things on my own … just …."

He sighed. Instinct had him reaching out and grasping her hand lightly, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Tell you what. How about we arrange it so I can sit with you afterwards? That way you've got a familiar face to see when you wake up."

She seemed stunned, but whether it was from his touch or his words, he wasn't certain. "I … you'd do that?" she asked softly. "I mean … you're here too, right? For medical reasons?"

He nodded. "I've already got my implant," he explained. "I'm here because of the headaches it gives me."

"Headaches?"

"I've got an L2. I get horrible migraines from it."

_L2_. She already knew her implant would be an L3. They'd been very quick to assure her of that from the moment her biotics had manifested. What they had neglected to tell her about in detail was why it had been so important that she was not an L2. That, she'd discovered out on her own. From what she'd learned and what he'd just told her, it sounded as if he was damned lucky in his case. "I'm sorry," she murmured wholeheartedly.

He shrugged and offered her a slightly lopsided smile. "It's not so bad," he told her. "Could be worse."

She smiled back and squeezed his hand in return as he'd not pulled his free from her yet. "True."

A soft knock at the door had their hands dropping and both turning to face the nurse who stepped inside. "I'm sorry," she apologized with a look in her direction, "but we need to be getting you ready. Your surgery will be first thing in the morning."

She felt dread drop heavily into the pit of her stomach … until she felt a strong hand grasp hers once more. "I will see you afterwards," he reminded her. "I promise."

Biting back her worries, she nodded. "Thank you," she murmured just for him as he started to step away. "For everything." He flashed her a grin before exiting the room.

"Have you your identification bracelet?" the nurse asked before she could say anything further to him. "Ah, there it is. Come on over here, Miss Shepard, and I will run through what you can expect over the next twenty-four hours …."


	2. The Darkness Is No More

It didn't occur to him until after he'd returned to his own room that he'd not found out her name. Nor had he given her his. After a brief moment of embarrassment, he half thought to maybe head back down there later in the evening, after the dinner hour and all, just to find out, but the nurse had been rather insistent that it was time for him to leave, so he decided to just bide his time. Which had him thinking ... again … he'd promised to be there for her in the morning … perhaps he'd better speak to someone and make sure that it could happen ….

He found and spoke with the nurse at the desk, surprised at just how easily he was able to make the arrangements. It was only afterwards as he turned to leave that he found out why it had been so easy. "Mr. Alenko, wait."

Kaidan turned back to face her once again, the question in the angle of the arch of his brow.

"Thank you for your help this afternoon. We'd been warned that she … well … she's not in the best frame of mind coming in here. We knew it might be difficult."

He frowned. _That_ didn't sound ominous at all. "What do you mean?"

The woman smiled but did not answer his question. "I'm sorry, I'm not at liberty to say. Patient confidentiality and all," she explained. "What I can tell you is that she is alone. And scared."

Kaidan sighed. "Yeah," he murmured, hand rising to press at his temples as he felt a headache beginning, "that much I gathered."

"Anyway, I'm sure Miss Shepard will appreciate you being there for her tomorrow. You two certainly seemed to … connect."

_Shepard._ He had a name now. Blinking, Kaidan thought to ask, "What's her first name?" Now it was the nurse's turn to look confused. "We had other things to discuss," he reminded her. "You know, the sort of things that kept her from attacking one of your nurses again?"

"Oh … of course." She glanced down at the paperwork on the desk in front of her. "Ah, here it is. Micah … Micah Shepard."

Kaidan nodded. "Thank you," he told her before turning to return to his room. When he arrived, he sat down on his bed and decided to call his mother. It was time to let her know what was going on. Then maybe some sleep to chase away the nagging ache which probably wouldn't be there the next day when he spoke with the doctor. Figured.

Micah tossed and turned that night, nerves rattling her more than she was willing to admit. At seventeen, she'd been through hell and back already in her short lifetime, but it was simple things like this that actually caused her more trouble. From the time she'd been a small child, Micah had hated doctors. It made a certain sort of sense, she supposed. She'd been her parents' third (and last) try at having a child, and from the moment her mother had discovered she was pregnant, the doctors had become involved. It hadn't pulled Hannah Shepard from her duties aboard ship, however, not even those last weeks before Micah's early arrival. Showing an impatience that still haunted her at times these days, Micah had arrived six weeks early while her mother's ship had been stationed out in the Valhallen Threshold. Thankfully, the ship had been focused on scientific exploration and had a top rate group of medics on board at the time. With such an early arrival, Micah quickly became the pride and joy of the ship, even though her early arrival resulted in a stay in intensive care for almost two months following her birth. But despite her untimely arrival, she'd found a way to survive, and it was a core foundation for the person she was becoming. Since then, there had been only one time had she fought against it, and even that she'd survived.

Eyes closed tight, Micah rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms around her pillow. "Dad," she whispered painfully into the empty room, "I miss you!"

God. She could still recall with all too much clarity the day that she had returned to the family cabin to find Uncle Steven visiting with her mother. That in itself had told her much as he wasn't currently serving aboard the same ship as her parents, and Micah had felt an uneasy edginess filling her as a result. Something was wrong. Her mother, stoic and stiff-upper lipped as always, had been sitting unusually stiffly, unshed tears welling in her eyes, refusing to give them permission to fall. Uncle Steven had risen the moment the door to the cabin opened, turning to face Micah, and the teen had seen it all in his eyes. The grim acceptance of reality fighting against the unwillingness to believe. Not realizing her school books were falling from numbed hands, she'd stumbled towards him. He caught her, hands offering support beneath her arms, attempting to guide her to the sofa, but she refused. Inside, she wanted to cry, to scream at the unfairness of it all. _No! Not him! It can't be!_ But she didn't. This had always been a possibility. She'd grown up knowing that. Accepting it.

"Where?" she finally managed to rasp after a long, silent moment.

"Mindoir," he had explained, the colony's name ringing a bell from the last discussion Micah and her father had before his departure on the emergency rescue mission. "They were trying to rescue some of the colonists. The batarians -"

Micah didn't recall much after that, her entire world collapsing around her, darkening, dying. She lost track of time, of hope. A fog surrounded her, one that felt as cloying as smoke and ash from a blazing, raging fire. No longer would she hear him calling her 'Juniper,' or have the chance to spar with him of an afternoon after her homework was completed. Gone were the evening bull sessions where he and she would discuss and plan out how she could train to be an effective Alliance soldier. Loss was a heavy burden for anyone, she knew that, but at sixteen, she found herself wondering if she would ever be able to recover. However, after some time she did begin to find her way out, to grasp at offers of help and hope once more, though she knew the path for her would now be one more of solitude …

The first realization of this was not necessarily a bad thing, but the timing might have been better. She'd been left to her own devices before in her youth, though never on such a long-term, permanent basis. But with her mother having withdrawn because of the loss of her husband, seemingly unresponsive even to Micah, hiding behind her 'duties' instead of grieving and recovering with her child, Micah was left to her own devices. She found there was little that she could do to reach her mother and so she did her best to live as her father would have wanted her to.

And then her world had done a complete one-eighty and any progress that she'd made on her own quickly vanished.

It began innocently enough. On the ship the size of the one Hannah Shepard served on, Micah was not the only teen in need of schooling. There were a number of others, many of whom she considered friends, even. Of those, one or two had been instrumental in helping her return to a somewhat functional state after her father's passing. There was one, though, a boy who always seemed to pick on her because she was the smallest, the smartest, the one who was easy to pick on. Despite her personal trauma, he still gave her a hard time, calling her out whenever he could, though in places and ways that others did not necessarily see. This time around, he'd taken exception to the fact that she'd done well on their history exam even after missing classes for two weeks. For her part, Micah had learned at an early age to ignore bullies such as him, to walk away from confrontation (no matter how personally irksome it was to do so). But this time, she'd had no choice.

He'd caught her after classes, walking back to her cabin just after leaving a classmate's quarters. He'd managed to surprise her, blocking her escape, cornering her down a small access hallway that hardly anyone ever traveled unless there was a specific need to. He'd threatened her, taunted her, but it wasn't until he made a grab for her arm, pulling her close and threatening her with violence that she'd reacted.

It had come out of nowhere, the glowing blue energy field that had wedged its way between her and him, rapidly expanding outward and pushing him away. Too late she'd realized its meaning and its source. By then, he'd been tossed hard against the metal pipes, sagging like a wet rag as he dropped to the floor, but the serious injury to his back had already been done. She'd remained there, calling for help, answering questions. It was the responsible thing to do, what her father would have counseled. In the end, no charges had been brought against her … but the damage had been done. It was a toss up as to who suffered more from it.

Within a week, after realizing that she'd destroyed someone's life so utterly and completely (no matter the circumstances behind it), after being told she would now have to be fitted with a biotic implant and sent off for training on how to control the powerful energy that she'd been given to wield, after facing off with her mother about the unfairness of it all and how she and her father had planned out her life from age five forward and this was not part of it … Micah had given into desperation and depression, attempting to end it all. Her mother had found her, thankfully in time, and called for immediate assistance. Help was brought in, but the incident was kept hushed. Hackett had come too, promising to help in any way that he could. That had resulted in a visit from another old family friend, Anderson. Ultimately, though, it had resulted with Micah's arrival at the hospital in London and her promise to Hackett, Anderson and her mother that she would follow through with the implant and the training that followed. Anderson had also assured her that, if she wished to follow through with her plans to join the Alliance at eighteen as she and her father had hoped, then she would still be able to do so.

Which was just about the only thing keeping her there at the moment. Sighing, Micah tossed over to her other side, pillow following suit as she adjusted it between her arm and her head. If there was one thing her father had taught her it was to keep her promises. _Juniper, one does not give one's word unless they intend to keep it._

The soft sound of her door opening had Micah glancing across the room as a nurse quietly entered. "Oh!" the woman exclaimed as she approached the bed and saw that Micah was not sleeping. "I didn't realize you were awake."

Micah sighed. "Can't sleep," she mumbled.

Offering a sympathetic smile, she handed Micah a small cup. "Then my timing is good. Here. Take this," she suggested. "It will help."

Micah stared at the cup for a long moment before sitting up and taking it in hand. "Pre-op meds?" she asked. The nurse the night before had told her as much. The woman nodded. A moment later, Micah was lying back again, willing her body to accept the sleeping medication. Hopefully, when this was all over, she'd have managed some rest.

Kaidan sat in the dimly lit room, the hum of machines a soft backdrop to the young woman lying on the bed before him. He didn't recall how long it had taken him to awaken after his own surgery, but the nurses assured him that she was fine for now, pointing out that she'd had trouble sleeping the night before which could also be influencing her recovery. That hadn't surprised him in the least. He'd not slept well the night before his surgery either. But she seemed to be at ease, and that was a plus at any rate. Occasionally, she would moan softly, shifting slightly, murmuring words he couldn't quite understand if they were even words at all, but for the most part, she seemed at peace.

He'd spoken with his mother the previous evening, answered her questions and arranged a time for her to drop by to be with him after his own examination. That was scheduled for later that afternoon. He'd been adamant about keeping his promise to Micah, though. When at the last minute one of the nurses suggested that they might be able to move up his scheduled appointment with the doctor, Kaidan had refused.

Micah shifted again and Kaidan leaned forward, his hand moving to slip around hers as he heard her whimper softly. He scanned her face, but her eyes remained closed. Whatever was troubling her seemed to be in her dreams. Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, he settled into a relatively comfortable position and waited.

"She's had the surgery," Hackett's voice announced. The image wavered only a bit, just enough to remind her that he was half a galaxy away from her current assignment.

Hannah Shepard sighed heavily in relief, sagging only slightly against the vid comm console. "How is she?" she asked.

There was a moment's pause, a hesitation in movement that he tried to cover, but Hannah both heard and saw it. "What is it, Steven?" she asked. "Tell me."

Another hesitation. "There was an … incident," Hackett finally admitted, "but it was resolved without too much damage being done."

Hannah frowned. "Damage? Was someone hurt?"

Hackett actually chuckled. "A few minor bruises, mostly to pride," he assured her quickly. "No, if anything, Micah proved she is her father's daughter. The incident was resolved before anything more could come of it."

Hannah rolled her eyes, but said nothing as she felt her heart squeeze tightly for a moment. The memory of her husband still had the power to hurt, though in this case she supposed she should be content. "What happened?"

"Hannah, let it go," Hackett advised. "She's seventeen now. Let her start making her own choices, taking responsibility for her actions."

Sighing, Hannah nodded. "Alright. But, Steven, you never answered my question."

"She's fine. She's in recovery now, but she is fine. As soon as she's up and healed, they'll send her off to training where she'll get her amp and learn how to control the biotics. A few months after that …."

Another sigh. A few months after that and Micah would be eighteen. Hannah knew she still intended to enlist. Micah had all the stubbornness of her father when it came to things like this. "I - I can't lose her too."

Hackett offered her a warm, friendly smile. "Don't sell her short, Hannah. She has a lot of her father in her, but she has shown influences from you as well. Remember, too, David has his eye on her. She will have good guidance along the way. She's got great potential. I think Colton knew that from the beginning."

Hannah straightened. "I know, I know. Alright then, I'll do my best not to worry."

Hackett nodded. "Good. David and I will keep you informed of her progress. Hackett out."

Hannah stepped back from the vid comm, turning to leave the room. Though she and Micah had had issues over recent months, mostly stemming from how they each had chosen to mourn the loss of the single most important man in their lives, Hannah had not ever lost sight of the fact that Micah was now her only connection left to him. Briefly, she couldn't help but wonder if her daughter would ever understand that sort of bond between a parent and a child. She only prayed that if she did, she would never have to go through something like this.

"What room is she in? I'll go sit with her for a while," David Anderson announced to the desk nurse.

"Sir, someone's in with her already," the nurse replied.

That caught the Alliance officer off guard. Turning back to the desk, he asked, "Who is it?" As far as he had known, no one had managed to get leave to be here for Micah's surgery. Hell, even he'd only just returned from his last assignment. The fact that he was even able to get away for a few hours to check on her was a miracle in itself.

"One of the other patients," the nurse informed him. He saw her glance down at a notation on a chart. "Name of Kaidan Alenko. He's …. Oh, I see." She set the chart down and glanced back at him. "There was a bit of an incident when Miss Shepard was checking in yesterday."

Anderson sighed. This did not surprise him in the least. He wondered just how bad the damage had been as a result.

"Mr. Alenko was able to calm her down, though. He was the only one she'd let in close to her, you see. Anyway, apparently they came to some sort of agreement where he'd sit with her while in recovery today and …."

Anderson nodded. It didn't take a genius to figure it out from there. And that name …. Something about it was ringing familiarity. "Right. Fine. Okay, just let me peek in on her then. I'm supposed to keep her mother updated," he added, hoping the woman would cooperate.

She did, giving him the room number, and he was able to find his way there easily enough. The door was slightly ajar when he neared. He hoped that was a good sign. Stepping in through the opening, Anderson was able to glance around the edge of the door, spotting Micah lying on the bed and the young man sitting beside her. Alenko, the nurse had said. _Wonder if that's Alex's boy?_ No sooner had he moved into the dimly lit room than the boy had turned, and Anderson found he had evidence to support his supposition. He hadn't realized that Alex Alenko's son was the spitting image of his father. Waving the younger man down with his hands, Anderson assured him quietly, "Just checking on her for her mother."

The younger man nodded and turned back to face Micah. "She's still under the anesthetic," he replied.

Anderson nodded his understanding. "I can check back later then," he replied. But before leaving, … "You're Alex's son, aren't you?"

Amber brown eyes quickly found his again. Nodding, he replied, "Kaidan, sir. You know my dad?"

Anderson nodded, a smile forming along with an idea. Something to check out once he checked back at headquarters. As he recalled, the son had some talent with biotics too. "He's helped me out of a rough spot or two over the years," Anderson admitted. "Is he here?" He gestured vaguely towards the windows and the city beyond. "In town, I mean."

Kaidan nodded again. "Over at Alliance HQ, I think."

A soft moan brought both men's attentions back to the young woman lying in the bed. "D-dad?" she whispered.

Anderson winced. Stepping around the bed and moving forward, he pulled over a second chair and sat down scooping up one of Micah's small hands in his larger one. "No, child," his deep rumble told her. "It's -"

Green eyes blinked open, looking back and forth between the two men beside her until finally they settled. "Uncle David?"

"Uncle?" Anderson glanced over at Kaidan. Grinning, he returned, "It's an honorary title. Her father saved my sorry ass a time or two as well. For some reason he thought I deserved to be called 'uncle' for it."

Micah chuckled, but winced a moment later. "Oh .. don't," she pleaded softly, hand pulling from Anderson's and rising towards the bandages at the base of her head. "Laughing hurts …."

Kaidan reached over and caught her hand before she made contact with the bandages. "Don't," he murmured, a smile tilting. "Trust me, you'll regret it later."

Anderson found himself slightly amazed that Micah reacted to the younger man's words as quickly as she did. She was definitely a young woman with an independent streak, something her father had encouraged from birth, Anderson knew all too well. But of late, she'd also shown signs of being lost, unfocused, unwilling to listen. Where in the past she'd taken his advice most often without argument, she'd recently flat out refused to do the same … at least until the incident where her biotics had become known, and by then she'd not really had a choice. This … was something else.

"Just thought I'd check in on you since I know how you feel about doctors," he told her then, offering a smile of support. "Make sure we've got you under the best of care."

She managed a smile then, though he could see it was laced with pain. "Seem to be," she replied. Was it his imagination, or did he see her hands tighten around Alenko's? Anderson made a mental note of it, something to keep in mind for later should the need arise.

"Good." Rising, he started begging his leave. "I've left word with the nurses. You need anything, they're to call me. Got it? Doesn't matter time of day - or night. Anything at all."

Micah nodded slowly. "Thank you."

"Alright. You get some rest and heal up, okay? You'll be right as rain in no time." Anderson reached down and patted her arm while offering a reassuring smile. "I've no doubt you'll have things well in hand here soon enough." Turning, he left the room.

Micah followed Anderson's retreating form with her eyes, but she remained silent. It had been good to see him, but not wholly unexpected. Between him, Hackett and her mother, Micah had expected that Anderson would be the one to show up at the hospital.

The feel of a hand squeezing hers brought her back to the present, though, and she turned her attention to her new friend. "You know Anderson?" he asked quietly.

Tilting her head so she could look at him, Micah nodded. "Old family friend. He and my dad knew each other from some mission years ago," she replied quietly. "He's helped me … a lot … since dad died." She sighed, eyes closing for a moment as she felt a wave of emotion wash through her. Anderson had reached her when no one else could, reminding her she could still keep moving forward, fulfill her dreams that she and her father had planned for so long.

Taking a deep breath, she held it for a moment, released it slowly, then opened her eyes once again. Gesturing vaguely with her hand towards the bandages, she asked, "So … everything went okay I guess?"

He smiled reassuringly and nodded. "It did. Now you just need time to heal. The connection between your implant and the eezo nodes in your body will …."

Still slightly fuzzy headed from the anesthetic, Micah followed his explanation as best she could, but the gist of what she got was that it would take some time before the implant was fully functional. During that time the doctors and nurses would check her, make sure there was no infection, that sort of thing. "Oh," he added towards the end, eyes widening just a bit as he seemed to recall something important. "You might also have some dizziness for a while too," he told her. "When I got mine, that was one of the worst side effects. The vertigo - it can really throw you for a loop if you aren't careful. Just take it easy and move slowly until it goes away."

Micah nodded slowly. "Thanks, …." She hesitated then, her eyes lifting to meet his while she felt the heat of embarrassment stain her cheeks then. "I … I'm sorry. I don't know your name …."

She saw him chuckle softly, felt his hand pat hers gently, as he replied, "I know. Sorry about that. My name's Kaidan."

"Micah," she murmured in return as she felt sleepiness stalking her. She couldn't hold back a yawn. "Damn," she muttered, "you'd think I'd have slept enough already …"

The sound of his laughter was nice, she realized. "Go ahead and rest," he told her. "I need to go get ready to meet with my doctor in a little while."

That brought Micah up short, her eyes popping open wide. "Oh gosh," she breathed, "I totally forgot you were a patient too!"

"It's okay," he assured her, giving her a smile and a broad wink. "Tell you what. I'll try to come back this afternoon and visit, if they'll let me that is. That okay with you?"

Micah nodded, returning his smile. "Yeah," she replied. "If you can, that would be great. Thanks."

She watched him rise to his feet then, squeezing her hand one last time before releasing it. As he turned away, she bit her lip, suddenly feeling bereft. "Kaidan …?" she called before she could stop herself. She watched him hesitate halfway to the door, turning to glance over his shoulder. "Thank you," she told him, wanting him to understand the importance of it. "Thank you for being here when I woke up."

There was a bit of a sparkle in his eyes as he smiled, she noted. Grinning, he gave her a nod and replied, "I promised you I'd be here, right? I've got your back, Micah. Just remember that. 'Kay?"

She nodded. "'Kay," she returned as he turned and left the room, a smile still toying at her own lips. He was so sweet and kind. How could she not be grateful he was here? And he seemed to understand what she was going through. So, maybe she would have to return the favor? Her smile widened as the thought began to evolve. She'd ask him later, find out what the doctors had in store for him. Maybe she could find a way to help him out in return? Only time would tell, she supposed. She yawned once more and rolled onto her side to find a comfortable position. As she began to drift, one of the last thoughts she had before falling back into a light doze was, _So maybe the implant thing wasn't such a bad thing after all?_ Only time would tell.


	3. The Sun Will Shine For Me

They didn't let her up from the bed until the next morning. As aggravating as it was, Micah understood it was more for her safety than any other reason. As Kaidan had warned, there was plenty of vertigo associated as a result of the new implant. When he'd returned later that afternoon, Micah had tried to sit up and adjust the pillows behind her, her only intention at the time to be comfortable and find some way to enjoy the conversation with him. Instead, she found something altogether different as her world began spinning wildly around her. She wasn't certain if she'd made a noise or maybe she'd just started to fall to the side, but Kaidan caught her, adjusted the pillows for her, and then helped her to ease back against them, reminding her to take things slow and easy. She'd agreed to follow his advice and they'd spent the rest of the afternoon together.

When dinner time rolled around again, he'd left, promising to see her sometime soon. His tests were to begin the next day, he explained, and Micah recalled that they were related to his L2 implant. Which could mean nothing good, from what she'd read. So she offered him a grateful smile for all his help, wished him luck with his tests and suggested returning the favor if she could the next day or day after depending on when the doctors decided she was steady enough on her feet. Kaidan had smiled, told her to focus on her own recovery and not to worry about him.

Which, of course, meant that she was bound and determined to be up and about just as soon as possible so she could visit with him again.

That night she slept well for the first time since her father's death. Whether this was due to the after effects of her surgery, the light sedative they gave her to assist with the sleep or just sheer exhaustion Micah was not certain. All she knew in the morning was that she felt better than she had in well over a year. She was still sore to be certain, but the nurses offered her some painkillers for the worst of it and so that problem was soon gone.

However, she was still restricted to her bed. At least for the morning. Which meant that she would be limited to watching television, reading or sleeping. As she felt quite rested and the idea of watching television didn't really appeal just then, Micah was granted access to use her omni-tool and the extranet in order to download some reading material. Once granted, she settled back and began researching L2 implants versus the L3 implants again, this time with more attention to the details. After all, if she would be visiting Kaidan later, she wanted to be certain she understood just what the problems he was having could entail and what sorts of tests he might be having to go through.

He'd been given less than twenty-four hours notice that his tests would begin in the morning, but it was still more than enough time to result in Kaidan having a restless night's sleep. He'd half thought of trying to sneak down to sit with Micah for the evening. Even if she was asleep during his visit, he'd thought just her presence might help. He was surprised just how relaxed he'd felt around her earlier that day. Calm. But then he'd had his meeting with the doctor and found out about the tests they wanted to begin first thing in the morning. Like most of the tests he'd been through since receiving his implant, they would involve migraine triggers which meant … bright lights, bursts of sound, certain vids and other potential triggers. It never failed, either. Ultimately he'd end up with one overly vicious headache and the doctors would remain clueless as to how to lessen the frequency and intensity of them. It was enough to make him toss and turn the night through.

Shortly after waking from the closest thing to sleep he'd managed that night, Kaidan heard a knock at his door. His mother entered a moment later, solemn look upon her features which was enough to tell him that she'd spoken with either nurses or doctors about the procedure today. She, too, had been through enough of them with him over the years since receiving his implant to know what was to come. "Hey, mom," he greeted her with a tired smile.

Laura Alenko returned the smile as she approached his bedside. "Good morning, Kaidan," she replied.

Kaidan found himself sighing softly as she started fussing about his room, but he said nothing. He knew that it was one of her coping mechanisms for the stress she went through whenever he went through a procedure like this. How could he deny her that? Especially now that he was older and could understand the need … sort of.

"How's your friend?"

Kaidan smiled, a bit of the tension leaving just then as he updated his mother on Micah's progress. Funny how talking about her could actually help him like this, if only for the moment.

A short time later, the door opened again, this time admitting a nurse and a wheelchair. Kaidan eyed the nurse first, then the chair, and then back at the nurse once again, but he could tell she was nonplussed. He was not going to talk his way out of this it seemed. He felt a touch on his shoulder and glanced over at his mother. "Go on," she urged quietly but with a smile. "I'll be here when you get back." Just like always. Sighing, Kaidan rose and took a seat in the chair. What else was there to do?

It was mid-afternoon before the doctors finally came around to check on her, Micah noted. But all things being equal, she didn't mind. It had given her time to study up, to take some mental notes, to consider how best to approach Kaidan later when they finally let her up. As it turned out, that moment came sooner than expected.

"Why don't you try standing and we'll see how things are progressing?"

Anxious to get out of the bed, Micah did as requested. With the echo of Kaidan's voice in her head reminding her to take things slow and easy, she scooted carefully to the edge of the bed, dropped her legs over the side and, after finding her slippers, began to rise. She kept her hand on the edge of the bed at all times and one of the nurses stood to her other side, ready should she start to fall.

At first, all seemed good. She straightened, kept her eyes ahead of her focusing on the window across the room. Once assured her feet were holding her, Micah released her hold on the mattress. "Good," the doctor told her, backing up several steps and then motioning her towards him. "Now let's try a few steps. Slow and easy, please. You may feel a bit disoriented."

Micah inhaled and nodded and it was then that she felt it. That first tinge of vertigo that had the room spinning madly off-kilter around her, her knees suddenly feeling like gelatin, wobbling and unsteady. And though she felt herself falling, she did not hit the floor, the nurse who had been standing nearby able to move quickly enough beneath a flailing arm to catch the brunt of her fall. "It's alright," the nurse murmured, reassurance in her tone. "Happens to everyone their first time up after implant surgery."

Micah grunted softly, foregoing a nod. Kaidan had warned her, after all, hadn't he? "How … long?"

The doctor had moved in closer again, took some notes on his omni-tool and now replied, "That all depends. Each person heals differently. Some are a matter of days, others weeks. There is no way to predict."

With the nurse's assistance, Micah straightened, determined to try again. After all … she had a goal for the afternoon. "Okay," she murmured when she was ready and felt somewhat steady again. "Let me try again."

And while it took several attempts for her to prove that she could move about the room safely enough to satisfy the medical staff, they were not quite willing to let her leave her room yet.

"Please!" she begged the nurse who was trying her professional best to corral Micah back into her bed after the session. "I want to be there for him … like he was for me after my surgery."

The woman hesitated, and Micah gave her the most winsome smile she could manage then. Though she did not look overly impressed, Micah thought she saw a slight curving at the corner of the nurse's mouth. "On one condition," the woman finally countered.

Nearly bursting with excitement at a somewhat positive reaction, Micah felt almost as if she were flying. "Name it!" she almost shouted.

"You must use a wheelchair and remain in it while out of your room."

Micah opened her mouth and inhaled deeply, ready to protest this restriction, her independent streak attempting to take over … but she fell short of putting voice to the words. It made sense. It was safe. And in the end, it would help her achieve her goal. The important thing, Juniper, is to know how and when to pick your battles. She smiled as her father's words came back. Had she thought on it, she might have realized it was the first time since his death that she had smiled happily when thinking of him.

"Okay. Agreed." Without waiting to find out if the woman would try to backtrack (Micah could clearly see shock on her face, poor thing), she grabbed her sweater and yanked it on over her hospital gown before settling into the chair, ignoring the narrowed frown from the nurse and the wave of vertigo that hit just in time to remind her to slow down again. "Let's go," she continued a moment later, tugging sleeves down over her hands.

Thankfully, the woman kept her word wheeling Micah out into the hall, first to her left and then back again to the right. The overall trip was fairly short, no more than five minutes tops, which included maneuvering around doctors, nurses and the volunteer-led welcome wagon. But before she knew it, she was being pushed into a dimply lit private room similar to her own as far as she could tell. She also found that the room was not empty.

It took a moment for Micah's eyes to adjust to the darker interior, but as soon as they did, she spotted the older woman sitting beside the bed, hand stroking dark curls back from a huddled figure in the bed. Micah winced as she realized that it had to be Kaidan.

"Mrs. Alenko, I'm sorry for the intrusion," the nurse stepped forward to explain in a hushed tone. More words were exchanged between the two women, but Micah did not hear them as her entire focus became him. Lying as he was, eyes closed tightly, lines of pain creasing his face and tightening around his lips, Micah felt concern jolt through her. The research she had done had indicated that the migraines suffered by L2s could be debilitating, but even this seemed … beyond that.

A soft voice broke through her thoughts a moment later, encouraging her participation in the conversation. "Micah? Would you like to sit with him?"

Blinking, Micah turned her attention to the woman. "If … if I may?" she hedged, suddenly unsure now that she was here. It was one thing if it was just the two of them, but totally another when others were involved. And by all accounts, this appeared to be his mother. Micah hadn't even considered that she might be here. After all, not everyone was in the same situation as she was.

Rising, Kaidan's mother moved to the side and pulled her chair along out of the way. Micah's nurse then positioned her wheelchair in its place. After securing the brakes on the device, she leant down and murmured, "Remember, stay in the chair," before turning to leave. Micah's only response was to nod distractedly. Her eyes had fallen to regard his face up close this time. She still thought he looked to be in tremendous pain, but a part of her wondered how he could possibly sleep through through it if that was so.

A hand at Micah's shoulder had her glancing upwards. "Would you be willing to sit with him for a while? I could use the break."

Micah blinked back surprise. "Yes … yes, of course!" she stammered quietly in reaction. "I would be glad to."

"Thank you. I'll return shortly."

Completely flabbergasted by the turn of events, it took Micah several minutes to realize she'd just been given what she'd wanted - time alone with Kaidan. Once that realization hit, though, she moved to take full advantage of it.

Leaning forward, Micah slipped her small hand around his larger one, squeezing gently. She didn't speak, not wanting to take a chance that if indeed he had found some peace from the pain it might bring him back to it. However, she thought she did feel his hand tighten slightly around hers. For now, it was enough.

Anderson had to admit he was a bit startled to arrive at the hospital for a follow up visit with Micah only to find she was not in her room the day after her surgery. The medical staff reassured him she was okay and once he heard her current location he understood. The surprise came from the fact that she and Alex Alenko's son were getting along so well when in the past couple of years it had been difficult for anyone to reach the teen, let alone for Micah to voluntarily reach out to anyone on her own.

After his last visit, Anderson had returned to headquarters and started some research. He'd had half a recollection of an incident a few years before involving the boy, but he couldn't recall the details. Unfortunately, he'd not been able to track down any record of it in the archives. However, based off of Kaidan's comments to him in Micah's room, Anderson had finally managed to track down Alex. It had been years since they'd last seen each other, but it might as well have been the day before once they met up. It wasn't long before they were finding their way to a local pub so they could catch up.

It was during the conversation that followed that Anderson was reminded of the details he'd been searching for.

Alex downed nearly half a pint in one gulp, sitting back with a satisfied sigh. "It's been a while, Anderson," he mused. "Last time … what was it? WHEN was it?"

Anderson chuckled. "A long time ago, my friend," he admitted. "Too long. How've you been? How's Laura?"

"She's fine. She asks about you once in awhile. Wonders what trouble you're getting yourself into these days."

Anderson grinned. "Still won't forgive me for showing up on your doorstep unannounced like that, hmm?"

Alex laughed. "Hell, half the time I think she expects you to do it again! She STILL has that broom tucked away in the front closet!"

"I'll call ahead next time," Anderson returned. "Speaking of … met your son today at the hospital."

Alex lifted a brow as he took a drink. "Oh?" Eyes narrowed. "Not injured again, are you, David?"

Anderson waved off the concern. "No, no. I was there visiting a family friend. Turns out, Kaidan was too," he explained. "Found him sitting in her room."

There was a moment of silence and Anderson watched his friend's reaction carefully. Alex was old school military which, he knew, could and often did distance him from others. Anderson was unsure if this had happened with the son, too, but he could sense a distance there. "Is there a problem?"

Anderson had been expecting that. "No, no," he assured him with a wave of the hand, "nothing like that. From what the medical staff told me, I gather that he helped with a … delicate situation." He didn't really want to go into Micah's past with Alex at all. That wasn't his place. "Daughter of a friend was found to be a biotic and is in for an implant. Situation caught her off guard, frightened her. Your son helped to calm things down when it became … contentious," he finally explained as generally as possible.

Alex nodded. "Ah. Yeah, Laura told me about that last night. Kaidan's over there for some more of those god-awful tests for his implant. Tomorrow, I believe." He gave Anderson a look that was hard to decipher, but Anderson thought he could recognize it. It was the look of a man who wanted to do something to help his son but knew that it was well out of the control of his own two hands.

Anderson nodded. "How's he been doing … since BAaT, I mean?" he asked. "When I spoke to him today, he seemed to be doing well."

Alex shrugged, took another drink. "He doesn't say much," Alex admitted. "To me or his mother. At first he was …." He shrugged. "Distant. Unreachable. Tortured. We knew what happened, of course - the turian, the circumstances of his death - but … I don't know. We didn't know how to reach him."

"Well, something must've worked," Anderson pointed out. "He didn't look so 'unreachable' when I saw him."

Alex nodded. "He and Laura moved back to the orchard. He started working the land. Helping out around the place. Learning the business. For a time, I thought he might just stay there, take up the family trade, you know?" Anderson nodded. "Right now, he says he's not sure. Needs more time to think things through." This last finished with a sigh and a knowing look towards Anderson. "Gets that from his mother," he added, a slight twinkle in his brown eyes.

Anderson grinned back. "Not a bad thing there, Alex," he reminded his friend. "Not bad at all."

"I may be a hard-headed soldier," Alex countered logically, "but even I know when to give my wife credit for her influence."

He was still standing near the front desk when he heard a soft voice calling his name. "David?"

Turning, Anderson smiled. "Laura! How are you?"

Laura Alenko smiled and stepped towards him. "I'm well, David, thank you for asking." She glanced around the area and then back at him. "I hope you're not here because of any injury?"

Anderson chuckled. "No, no," he hastily assured her, "nothing like that. I told you, I wouldn't be showing up on anymore doorsteps covered in blood like that, didn't I?"

A light blush darkened her cheeks for a moment. "True enough," she agreed. "So what brings you here? Alex mentioned he'd seen you last night, so I presume you know why we're here."

Anderson nodded. "I do. As a matter of fact, I met your son the yesterday when I stopped by. He was with the young lady I'm here to see."

Laura's eyes widened in surprise. "Micah?"

Anderson nodded. "Her father and I were friends and her mother is currently deployed," he explained. "Asked if I'd check in on her, make sure she'd doing alright."

A smile spread then. "Well then, sounds as if I might be able to take you where they are then. I left Micah sitting with Kaidan a short while ago. Come on, we can go check on them … and you can catch me up on things." She gave him a wink. "Like how Kahlee is doing?"

As he'd feared, the tests had triggered one hell of a migraine. This one had to be near the top of the list as far as bad ones went. By the time the tests had been completed and they'd wheeled him back to his room, it had been all he could do to simply move from the wheelchair up onto his bed where he'd promptly collapsed into a pain-wracked heap. He hadn't even noticed when his mother pulled the sheets and blankets up over him, dimmed the lights in the room as much as possible and then taken a seat beside him, sliding her hand into his. All he'd known was the agony that had begun in his head had spread until nearly anything would send another wave through his body. Breathing. Talking. Simple thoughts.

He'd learned years before, back at BAaT as a matter of fact, how to block out much of the pain associated with the migraines. He hadn't been the only one to suffer, after all, and they'd gone a long way to try to teach the students how to focus and meditate in order to alleviate as much of the pain as possible without the use of medication which could, and sometimes did, affect the usage of biotics while under its influence. Sadly, though, the exercises had never worked quite well enough to block out all the pain. And in a situation like this one, where multiple triggers had been used to set it off so that the doctors could get their diagnostic readings, well, days like this were just never ending nightmares. The last time he'd had this done the pain had lasted for over a week.

But somewhere in the middle of it all, and despite the throbbing pain, he noticed when it changed. It wasn't the size of the hand, the softness of the skin, or even the warmth of the touch, though the difference from fingers and palm surrounded by his to having his own being covered was noticeable. Not quite enough to bring him back into the reality of what he now faced, but enough to cause a response. Palm turning slightly, fingers sliding, it was nearly imperceptible, but he tightened his hand around hers. And while there was no magical relief at her touch, no chasing away of the pain that continued to haunt him, the gentle squeeze he felt in return did go a long way towards helping him relax. It was enough.


	4. This Is the Day

It took about three days before the medical staff would allow Micah to travel the distance between her room and Kaidan's without a wheelchair. By that time, her vertigo, though still an occasional visitor, had for the most part faded into distant memory. Or so it seemed, at any rate. Of course, she couldn't really object when she was still allowed to visit him, mostly whenever she wanted except for the day he had his second round of tests. But even then, she managed to convince the nurses (his mother didn't need the same level of convincing) to allow her to sit with him while he suffered through the pain. Though he never told her exactly what they did with these tests, or even what the point of them was (aside from causing him tremendous pain), Micah was determined to be there in any way she could. As long as he wanted her there, of course. When she made a comment to that effect the night before the second set of tests, she was a bit surprised at how vocal his reaction was.

"What do you mean, 'If you don't mind'?" he demanded, his voice sounding slightly irritated. Whether that was because he was upset by her words or just anxious about the tests the next morning, Micah wasn't sure. For the briefest of moments, though, Micah thought she saw a flash of anger and uncontrolled violence behind his dark eyes. By the time she'd blinked, however, it was gone. "All I meant was that I'm not going to assume you want me here," she explained calmly, though her hands were unconsciously fiddling with the cuffs of her sweater, tugging at them absently. Reassurance came when they were covering down to her knuckles.

Kaidan sighed. He was seated on the top of his bed, she was standing over by the window staring out at the wooded area beyond. Rising, he crossed the room to stand beside her. Arm lifted, resting against the window frame, he pressed his forehead against it as he stared outside though he was not really seeing what lay beyond the window. "This is the first time," he told her quietly, "since having any of these damned tests done that I've actually been able to relax the day before. Usually I'm alone, or mom is here." Laura Alenko had left for the evening at Kaidan's insistence. Today was her birthday, after all, and he'd wanted her to have an opportunity to spend some quality time with his father.

Micah glanced over at him. She didn't think he looked very relaxed. Not really, anyway. She could see a tenseness in the set of his shoulders, hear it in the strain of his voice. "I don't see what much good I do," she finally told him, her eyes drifting up to meet his. "You seem pretty tense to me."

He sighed. He turned to lean his back against the window now, his eyes drawn to hers. "Trust me," he assured her with a small smile, "this is relaxed."

Straightening, she returned his smile. "Then I'd hate to see you agitated," she teased lightly.

"Hah!"

He reached out then, his thumb brushing gently beneath her eye, pushing some of her dark auburn curls away from her face. "Loose eyelash," he murmured. Her smile widened just a bit in acknowledgement of his actions. It wasn't the first time he'd done this. When his hand pulled away a moment later, she nodded. "Thanks."

Turning further, she glanced back over at the bed, at the unfinished chess game that they'd begun earlier in the evening. "Distraction, huh?" she mused softly before flashing him a quick, impish grin. She noted the flare in his eyes in reaction to it and she had to chuckle. He was easy to predict sometimes.

"Well, it's either that or -"

Micah snorted softly, arms now crossing over her chest as she turned back to face him. "Is this where you start teasing me about kissing again?" she challenged.

His brow arched in question. "What? It worked, didn't it?"

She pressed her lips together into a straight line. "In nearly getting us caught by the nursing staff, maybe," she countered.

"Hey, it kept you from falling on your ass in the hallway." The smile on his lips widened as hers turned downwards. "What? You wanted them to find out you were having another vertigo attack? They would have had you back in a wheelchair before you could -"

"Fine!" she harrumphed. "Fine … you win. You always win, don't you?"

His reaction to those words, though, was not what she expected. In less time than it took to inhale, his eyes went from sparkling mischief to a spiraling downward depression. Before she could ask him about it or even reconsider what she'd just said, he muttered, "Not always, no," and turned away to move away from her and towards his bed.

Micah sighed. What had she said this time? She suddenly felt cold and pulled the edges of her sweater closer around her slender frame. Maybe it was time to leave and go back to her room after all, despite his earlier reassurances. "Kaidan …."

The door to the room opened then, a nurse ducking her head inside. "Curfew," she told them, giving Micah a knowing look. Micah glanced over at Kaidan, prepared to excuse herself and leave.

"No," he insisted sharply. Micah thought she saw a slight look of panic in his eyes, but there was no doubt that both she and the nurse were startled by his sudden outburst. Up to this point, Kaidan had been nothing but respectful of the rules and regulations, especially considering that the staff had given him a great deal of latitude due to his initial actions the day he'd arrived. But this … was something different.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Alenko," the nurse broke in, "but I've been instructed to -"

Micah wasn't sure exactly what happened next. What she did know was she felt an immediate sense of alarm and as such she reacted without actual thought or focus. Or, in this case, training. In the space of a heartbeat and under the influence of emotions she could only guess at, Kaidan sent forth a biotic burst of energy that knocked the chessboard and all of it's pieces into the air sending them vaguely in the direction of the nurse. Micah's responded on instinct, managing to establish a barrier field of some sort that, even as undefined as it was, kept the pieces and Kaidan's burst from making contact with the woman.

As the nurse scurried back out of the room, Micah began approaching Kaidan. Her focus was on him and him alone, so she didn't even flinch at the sound of the chessboard and all of the pieces falling to the floor behind her as the energy fields collapsed. Instead, she kept her eyes upon his, right hand stretched out before her, palm up. "Kaidan …?"

She saw it in his eyes again. That deep, almost violent reaction, but mixed with it was now something akin to fear. "Micah," he rasped, eyes searching hers. "I'm … I'm sorry!"

Another step. Then another. Soon she was standing on one side of the bed, he on the other. Eyes met and held. And then she saw him crumple. Scrambling over the top of the bed, she dropped to the floor beside him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Hey, it's okay," she murmured quietly. She began rubbing his back, circular motions, soothing motions. "Everything's alright."

His head lifted, eyes finding hers and she wanted to weep for the depth of sorrow that she found in them. Instinct again was screaming at her that his reaction was not associated with the tests the next day, but she had no idea what their source might actually be. "It's not," he insisted, hand rising to swipe angrily at a few tears. "It hasn't been for a long time now! Not since I -"

"Kaidan!" Micah reached out and caught his wrist tightly in her hand, her voice coming out more sharply than she'd intended, but it seemed to break through to him. "Stop!" she insisted once she was certain she had his attention.

There was a strength in her tone, he realized. Hers was a voice of command. One that brooked no argument. He wondered if she knew it was there. Based off of previous conversations, he was willing to be that she didn't. He knew she was planning to go into the Alliance. She'd told him that on several occasions. But he found that he couldn't help but wonder just how far she might go. She claimed she just wanted to be a soldier, but he seriously wouldn't be surprised if she didn't achieve far more than that.

He'd nearly repeated his past this evening, he realized. And then he'd almost told her about it. About killing Vyrnnus. About Rahna's rejection. Would Micah have reacted the same way? Sighing, he lifted a hand to his temple. He wanted to tell her about it, sure, but not like this! Not in the process of repeating past mistakes! He winced as he felt a headache coming on. So much for being relaxed.

"You should get into bed," she told him quietly. He felt her hand still rubbing at her back, though, and he was loathe to have it come to an end. "It certainly would be more comfortable than this cold, hard floor."

Leaning against her as he was, her arms tightly around him, he did not want to move. "Stay," he whispered softly, head resting on her shoulder, lips near her ear.

"But, Kaidan …."

He ignored her protests. "Please."

Her sigh was what clued him in that he'd won this round. "We'll see," she told him, assisting him to his feet, but he knew he'd won. "Let's get you up onto the bed first."

He was sliding under the covers when the door opened once again, this time the nurse having returned with backup he noticed. Before Micah could do or say anything, he slid his hand around hers and squeezed. She was facing him, so she didn't seem to understand at first. But then she glanced over her shoulder and he felt her squeeze his hand back. "Everything is fine," she called over to them, essentially dismissing them with her tone and by turning back to face him. He glanced up and for the briefest moment thought he detected a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"That is all good and well," the nurse began while stepping into the room, "but it does not change the fact that it is curfew."

"If I leave now," Micah replied reasonably and with a sly wink at Kaidan, "you might have to deal with that," she gestured to where the chess pieces and board still lay on the floor, "again. Is that what you want?"

The nurse actually seemed to bristle, Kaidan thought. "Now look here!"

Micah released his hand and turned, hip leaning against the bed, but entire body facing the doorway. He thought she was about to give another argument, but then she suddenly took on a blue shimmer and he realized what she was about. He felt like laughing just then. "I'll stay until he is asleep," she said quietly, hoping they wouldn't press things further. She didn't think Anderson would understand why she resorted to using biotics and breaking regulations for something like this.

There was a brief discussion between the nurse and her back up which ultimately ended up in everyone leaving a short time later after gaining Micah's sworn promise to leave once Kaidan fell asleep. After this, once they were alone again, Kaidan watched as Micah stepped over and quickly picked up the chessboard and pieces. "Don't want your mother tripping over them in the morning, do we?" she asked. Only then did she return to his bedside.

Sighing, he linked his hand with hers again. It felt … good. Right, somehow. Then he was hit with sudden inspiration. Scooting over on the bed, he patted the space he made and tugged lightly on her hand. "Come sit up here," he told her quietly.

Her brow raised in question. "Why?" she asked even as she moved to do so.

"Several reasons," he replied, adjusting the back of the bed to an incline so they could be comfortable while talking.

"Hmm. Alright, I'll bite. Satisfy my curiosity."

He chuckled and assisted her into lying back beside him. "Well, first off, if you were to fall asleep before me, you wouldn't have to worry about curfew."

Micah rolled her eyes, he noticed, a small smirk playing at her lips. "You really need to work on your pick up lines, you know?"

He felt the heat stain his cheeks, but he ignored it and continued. "Second, it's more comfortable than that chair."

She glanced over at the straight backed chair. "True enough."

"And third," he murmured while lacing their fingers together and nodding towards the now closed door, "it'll irritate the hell out of them."

This time she chuckled softly. "Okay, that did it. I like the way you think, Alenko," she murmured. Though, breaking regulations apparently did have their uses.

About a week after Micah's surgery, Anderson finally received the update he'd been waiting for. "She's well enough to leave the facility, sir," she head nurse told him upon arrival. "The doctor has said she can be released at your convenience."

"Good. Let me check on the arrangements with the training facility and I'll get back to you."

"Yes, sir."

And so he had checked, only to find that the training center was ready to take her on as a student, but did not have any space available to house her. Anderson sighed. This wasn't that much of a surprise, he supposed. Since the closure of Jump Zero several years before, and a still increasing number of biotics being discovered, the demand for such places as these was high indeed. This particular facility was meant for those intending to enlist with the Alliance afterwards, as Micah planned.

Left with a dilemma to solve, Anderson reached out to Micah's mother, explaining the situation.

"Under normal circumstances, David, I would suggest getting her an apartment, but I know those are at a premium in London too."

"Sadly, yes," he agreed. "Although, Kahlee had a suggestion," he added. "One that I'm inclined to think might be the best way to help Micah accomplish her goal, if you have no objections that is."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?" Hannah asked hesitantly.

Anderson laughed. "Because you're still reluctant to trust me like Colton did?" he returned.

Her sigh was audible. "Point. Alright. Hit me with it."

"Kahlee suggested that we have Micah come and stay with us for the," he glanced at the calendar on his desk, "four months until she turns eighteen and can enlist. She'll need that long to train on how to use her new powers, you know that. Plus, it keeps her in an environment that will offer supervision and guidance when needed."

There was silence at the other end of the call for a moment. "I have no problem with this, David," Hannah finally announced, "as long as Micah agrees to your terms. You know she has an independent streak."

Anderson chuckled. "Yeah, I know," he echoed. "I'll let you know once things are finalized."

"David … thank you. You've been so much help -"

"Hannah, I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully," he broke in to tell her. "If our situations had been reversed, you know damned well that you and Colton would have done the same. Enough said. Besides, Micah has the potential for greatness in her. She just needs a little bit of a guiding hand along the way is all."

Hannah chuckled. "That's one way to put it, I suppose. Alright then. I'll look forward to hearing back from you. Shepard out."

Sitting back in his desk chair, Anderson found himself pondering his new situation. He and Kahlee had discussed it at length several times since the discovery that Micah had biotic tendencies and would be arriving to be fitted with an implant. And while the situation for the teen seemed to finally be falling into place, he found his thoughts traveling in a slightly different direction. Micah had four months to learn all she could about her new biotics. How her implant worked. The different types and styles of amps out there. The tactics and usefulness of biotics as a weapon. Battle strategies and other such things would be more of a focus in basic training, but having a working knowledge of her own biotics going in was a necessity. Four months, he mused. Too bad he didn't have someone else with a working understanding of biotics and ….

His chair hit the ground with a thud as the idea popped into his head. That it would be a possibility was not a question, he knew. That he would accept the offer … well that was something else altogether. On the other hand, if he could present it in such a way as to give him a path to a future as well …. Anderson leaned forward and placed a call to his old friend.

Several hours later, all pieces finally in place, it only remained for Anderson to make contact with the participants themselves and secure their cooperation. He arrived at the hospital and headed for Micah's room after checking in with the nurse's station. He found the door to her room partially open and he could hear a pair of voices beyond it which caused a smile. Apparently, he'd be able to kill two birds with one stone today, as the old saying went. Even better.

"Carefully," he heard Kaidan saying, though Anderson could not see them yet.

Micah's soft laugh seemed to float around the room. "I am being careful," she admonished.

"Uh huh. I can tell. Look how unstable it is."

Anderson stepped inside the room then and glanced around behind the door.

"So … how do I fix it when I don't have my amp yet?" Micah asked.

Kaidan was standing behind her and now moved forward so he could put his arms around her, maneuvering her position just a bit. "All the amp will do is boost the power behind the move. The stability of it … that's all in the wrist movement," he told her, using his hand and arm to show her. "Each move will have it's own, well … trigger, I guess you could call it. Through training you get used to which move will work best for you. Your amp might give you a boost in strength and power, but the trigger will be what sets it up. You'll get used to it soon enough."

Anderson remained silent, watching as Kaidan demonstrated by performing another move. "Practice. Control. Focus," he told her. "Those are the things that will help you master it."

Anderson saw Micah flash Kaidan a mischievous grin. "Master, huh?" she countered.

Anderson rolled his eyes before pointedly clearing his throat and interrupting the pair. It took considerable willpower not to laugh at their startled and somewhat guilty reactions. Clearly, they had not heard him enter the room. "Looks as if you're feeling better," he observed with a nod at the faltering singularity that floated around in front of them.

"Uncle David!" Micah gasped in surprise. She recovered quickly, though, walking over to give the man a hug in greeting. "Definitely feeling better. Docs think I can leave soon."

Anderson hugged her back. "Good to hear," he replied before glancing over at Kaidan. "What about you, son? Your tests go okay?"

If Kaidan had any question regarding the extent of Anderson's knowledge of the purpose of his visit, he did not indicate it. "Yes, sir. As far as I know."

"Good." Anderson moved further into the room and took one of the seats over by the window. Glancing back at Micah, he asked, "So what trouble have you been getting into, Shepard? Studying up already?"

She had the good grace to blush a bit, but knowing her, it wouldn't last long. "Kaidan was just … um, showing me a couple of moves," she replied. Anderson noted that Kaidan now looked just a little bit uncomfortable.

"So I see," he responded. "Thought I might come over and help you bust out of this place," he continued a moment later with a broad wink in her direction, "but if you've other things you're tied up with, I can -"

Micah's green eyes lit up. "What? No! I mean … I can leave?" Anderson watched the two turn towards each other then. "I guess it's …. What, the training center now?"

"Actually, no," Anderson told her. That brought her attention back around to him again. "They're full up, no room anywhere for you." He saw her smile fade then and hurried on to explain. "However … Kahlee and I were thinking you could stay with us. That way you can still attend the training and keep to your original schedule. You'll just come home at the end of the day instead of residing at the center."

He saw the shock and surprise in her eyes. "I … wow. And mom's okay with that?" He nodded. Her smile returned then, almost as if it had never left. "I'll still be able to enlist in April?" Again he nodded. The smile got wider. If there was any one thing he knew would make Micah smile it was talking about her future in the Alliance like she and her father had planned out so many years before. "Oh, wow!"

Anderson chuckled. "You're welcome, child," he told her with only the slightest hint of teasing in his tone. The flash of white teeth as she grinned was enough thanks in his books. Turning, he glanced over at Kaidan. "I hear from your father you're headed back to the orchard when you leave?"

Kaidan straightened a bit. "Yes, sir."

"Is that what you're wanting to do, son?" Anderson challenged, gently, hoping he'd been reading the boy right from the first time he'd met him. If not, this would likely backfire in his face.

"I …," Kaidan ran a hand through his unruly dark hair, eventually settling at the back of his neck where he rubbed absently. "I'm not sure, sir. I mean … I -"

Anderson broke in, "What if I were to ask for your help with a special project? It would keep you away from the orchard for, say, four months or so. Would you be interested?" Unflinchingly, he met the boy's look.

"I … possibly? It would depend on what the project is, sir."

Anderson chuckled. Glancing between the two, he explained, "Well, a certain young lady is adamant that she be allowed to enlist on her eighteenth birthday, and seeing as she only has four months to get the hang of this biotics thing …."

"Uncle David!"

"Ooof!" Anderson managed to catch Micah as she launched herself across the room and into his arms. Chuckling again, he patted her back and murmured, "What? You didn't think I'd forget your grand plans now, did you?" He glanced back over at Kaidan. "What do you say, son?"

Kaidan had to admit he felt a bit astonished that Anderson was asking for his assistance. Did he not know of Kaidan's background? Then again, seeing as he was an Alliance officer, he probably did know the details. So … why then was he giving him this chance? Particularly around someone he clearly cared a great deal about? Kaidan knew his actions at BAaT proved him to be uncontrollable. A monster in some ways, even. And while no charges had ever been filed against him, he knew he had been right on the edge of things there.

Then again, he found his thoughts drifting back over the time he'd spent with Micah this morning. Of sneaking a few attempts at trying a singularity, one of the first moves a biotic was taught at training he knew, and one of the easiest to reproduce. She had talent, of that there was no doubt. Her first attempt had been better than anything he'd ever seen from others. And her enthusiasm certainly was contagious. He'd picked up a few tricks while at BAaT, things he'd wanted to remember to pass on to Micah, but now Anderson seemed to be offering him the chance to not only do that, but to help her with her training. To show her, teach her the way he'd always wished that he and the others had been taught. Could he do it?

His eyes fell upon her, noting the brightness there. It was such a stark contrast to the first time he'd seen her. Now he saw hope. Desire of a sort. Determination. Perhaps she could help him with that in return for him helping her with the biotics? It was worth a shot.

Glancing back at Anderson, Kaidan gave the man a single nod. "I'd be glad to, sir."

Micah felt as if she might burst with joy. Anderson had known, of course, of her plans for her future. Had known she was determined to go through with them, no matter the cost. Yet, a part of her of late had wondered if his support had simply been used to gain her compliance when it came time for her to get the implant as well as to help pull her from the misery she'd been in since her father's passing. She now felt guilty for having thought anything along those lines.

And Kaidan ….

Her eyes met his as he assured Anderson he'd help out. Did he know how much his presence had helped her? She found it difficult to put into words at times, but she knew without a doubt that had she not met him, things would not have gone nearly as well as they had during her stay here. She could only hope that they would continue to do so.

"Alright then," Anderson announced and Micah took that as a cue to release him from the bear hug she'd been unable to restrain, "best get your things together then. You too, Kaidan. I have clearance from both your doctors. You'll get to leave just as soon as you're ready."

There was no need for him to repeat himself as both Micah and Kaidan scrambled off to do just that.


	5. The Time For Independence

"Focus."

The quiet instruction was hardly needed at this point, but he watched as Micah closed her eyes anyway, took a deep breath, settled herself mentally. Her right hand closed into a light fist, her usual preparation for each move she had learned. Eyes shut, Kaidan waited, watching, until her brilliant green eyes suddenly flashed open, acutely aware, her entire focus on the target before her, the usual pile of crates on the apartment rooftop. The action took mere seconds to release, hand flying out before her, the energy fields created flying from her fingertips and towards her target. He watched her carefully, eyes following each and every little movement and detail as she produced the lift. Her control was good. More than good, he thought with an appreciative nod, watching the crate ascend and float well above the others. It held solid for somewhat longer than he expected for such a new move, too.

As he kept his eyes on the crate, Kaidan couldn't help but reflect back over the past four months. Certainly, it had come as a surprise to him when Anderson had asked him to come along to help with Micah's training. He had figured out the why early on, of course. It didn't take a genius to discern that his experiences at BAaT were what Anderson was after. But then again, Kaidan couldn't argue that Micah had talent. From the few experiments they had completed back at the hospital, he'd been able to see that. And his kind of experience could help her attain her goals more quickly, no doubts there, either. At the time of Anderson's offer, he'd just been grateful for her presence there, and she had told him on more than one occasion since then that meeting him had helped her when she needed it most. There had been a connection there, even Anderson had recognized it, grabbed hold of it, promoted it even.

But the friendship, the camaraderie, the easy exchange of thoughts and ideas regarding their skills. Those were things that, while outwardly normal and expected of a situation like this, had come to mean much more to him. The events at BAaT had sent him spiraling afterwards, of that there was no question. Self doubt and recriminations could destroy a person if allowed, and he certainly had been headed in that direction. But, the day he'd met Micah, that first day at the hospital, the trust between them had started. A trust he'd not reached out for since BAaT. Ever since that day it had been built upon, eventually evolving into something much stronger. More than just friendship, in some ways. There was a bond there, one even he could see that went much further.

Then again, Kaidan had realized almost from the beginning of this arrangement that his presence had technically not been necessary. Micah's skills and ability to learn quickly were very impressive. Her natural talent left him amazed most of the time. All in all, though, he often found himself feeling ... extraneous. Early on, he'd even approached Anderson, challenging him on that point.

"Sir, you don't need me here," Kaidan insisted. "She's a fast learner, her instinct guides her better than anything I could ever do for her, she'll be fine without me here."

Anderson gave him a warm smile, hand rising to settle upon his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "Son," he told him, "there's more to learning than being a fast learner, let me tell you. She's had a lot happen to her in a very short amount of time. Life changing events. I'm not sure how or why, but you two connected while at that hospital and it's done her a world of good and in more ways than one."

Kaidan shrugged. "I didn't do that much ..."

"You did," Anderson corrected him firmly. "Son, you didn't see her right after her father died. That man held that family together, you know." He sighed. "I won't say more than that - it's not my story to tell. But I will tell you this - I have seen more life in Micah in these past few weeks than I have in the past two years or so, and that is in large part due to your interaction with her. Between that and the skills you gained over the years during your own training ... well, let's just say that it's helping her to find her way with a bit more ease than she might have had."

Respectfully, Kaidan nodded. "So ... I'm staying then?"

"Are you wanting to leave?" Anderson asked.

"No, sir," Kaidan replied quickly.

Anderson chuckled. "I didn't think so."

Kaidan sighed as he turned his eyes from the crate back to Micah now. One more week and then she'd be gone. Oh, he expected that they would stay in touch. At least, he intended to from his end of things. Who knew how busy she would be once she was off at basic, right? But then again, a long distance relationship like that just wouldn't be the same as being around her, would it?

A moment later, however, his thoughts faded quickly as he saw her shift her stance just a bit ... and then she surprised him.

Four months had not been much time. Even with required attendance at the training center on a daily basis and evenings spent in study (she still had high school to finish, after all) and practice, Micah was running out of time and she knew it. Having a private tutor who assisted her with all of it helped, of course, not that she really needed the help with the schoolwork. That part she was pretty good at on her own. No, the real help came with mastering the biotic moves, the learning of the physical mnemonics that the she had been training her biotic nodes to recognize as triggers for the moves. So far, so good.

The instructors had started her off with the usual learning track for newcomers to the field of biotics - singularity first, then warp. Micah knew she was a quick learner, and those skills hadn't taken too long to master, in part thanks to Kaidan's assistance and suggestions pulled from his own experiences. Stasis had been a bit more difficult, however. That one required the ability to create a field strong enough to actually 'freeze' the opponent in it and she had lost some valuable time there in her mastering of it, but once learned it proved to be well worth the struggle. Now though ...

Micah grinned slyly and out of the corner of her eye saw Kaidan blink in surprise. She knew better than to look at him just yet. She'd just end up laughing and right now she was more concerned with proving to both him and herself that she was nearly ready. Or at least ready enough to move on to the next stage of her plan. As long as she had the basics, she would be allowed to leave, and Anderson had assured her that any additional biotic training she might need would be available to her after she finished her initial training.

"Well," Kaidan finally managed after a minute, "I'm ... impressed."

Micah turned to face him then unable to hide the small smirk toying at the corners of her lips any longer. She found it difficult to explain exactly why, but she felt ... exuberant. During the weeks together, Micah had come to realize that Kaidan had a natural teaching ability. And, while she the majority of her education had come at the hands of the instructors at the training center, it had been the insights he had offered and practice methods that he used that had cemented those skills for her. While they were friends, which certainly helped, when they were training their relationship had taken on a more ... formal approach, one that was less about friendship and more serious, focused on the task at hand. This had probably done the most to help her prepare, she suspected. The fact that he had taken her goal as seriously as she had, had been willing to help her achieve it meant quite a lot to her. After all, when it came to preparing herself to join up, Micah could be and usually was all business. It had only been the last couple of weeks that she had become more distracted from the process.

But this ... She felt a fire flare in her eyes as she caught his gaze, the surprise still there and the inevitable question. "I should hope so," she replied teasingly. "I learned it from watching the best."

She watched him blink, nearly laughing aloud at his reaction. He truly seemed ... confused. Giving him a 'well, duh!' sort of look, though, she saw the exact moment when understanding hit him. Head shaking in amazement, he ran a hand through his hair. "That was weeks ago," he pointed out. "You hadn't even mastered singularity yet."

"Doesn't mean I can't watch and learn," she returned logically. "Remember, I've spent years doing just that." She shrugged then and glanced down at her feet for a brief moment. "I learned a long time ago that I'd never be able to be the kind of soldier like my father was. Once I accepted that, I began looking for ways in which I could be effective, strategies that would help me still be a soldier out on the battlefield."

"Well," he told her, his own smile breaking through, "you've certainly managed that."

Micah chuckled. "We'll see. I have to get through basic first, right?"

"First we have to get you through your last week of training," he corrected, but his smile did widen. "Though I think you just proved you'll be able to pass with flying colors."

Micah actually giggled. "Yeah, they might be a little surprised by that one," she agreed. She sighed softly. "Okay, so ... show me what I did wrong?"

Kaidan nodded while stepping over beside her. As he began to walk her through the motions, step by step like he always did, Micah felt a sudden wistfulness as she realized she would miss this with him ...

Micah stood at the window of her room staring out at the city beyond, the gloomy overcast skies having given way to a steady, cold drizzle. This is it, she thought. In a few hours I'll be eighteen ... on my way to basic ... This time tomorrow I'll officially be a marine. Hand rising, she placed her fingertips against the cool glass, forehead leaning over to do the same. This time tomorrow ... Though it had taken a lifetime to get to this point, with many ups and downs along the way, Micah knew that had it happened any other way, it would not - could not - have been as important as it was to her right now.

The sound of a knock at the door behind her startled Micah at first, but she knew who it would be as she turned around. Unless someone had broken into the place, which was highly doubtful, there was only one person it could be at the moment. "Hey, Kaidan," she murmured. Pushing away from the window, she crossed the room to stand near him. "What's up?"

"I was thinking we could order in some dinner," he told her, nodding slightly towards the rest of the apartment behind him. "Maybe watch a movie, I don't know. Whatever you want. Sort of an early birthday treat, if you like, since we'll both be leaving tomorrow."

Micah's smile was a bit wistful as she looked up at him. Despite reaching this point, at long last, she would have one regret at least. Being around him for the past few months had been more important to her than just for his insights into biotics training. "I'd like that," she replied quietly.

Kaidan returned the smile she saw. "So ... what would you like? Chinese?" More than once they'd run out for a quick evening meal at a local place that had some of the best dishes in the city. "Curry maybe?"

Micah laughed softly. She knew what he would really prefer, even though it would require running out since the place didn't deliver, and she had to admit it sounded good to her right now, too. "How about some steak sandwiches?" she suggested with a knowing grin and a twinkle in her eye.

She saw his smile widen, but was startled when he reached out, he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "A woman after my own heart," he teased back before bending over to kiss her cheek quickly.

Micah blinked back surprise at his action, but she kept her smile in place. It wasn't that he hadn't done that before by any means. Rather, that this time it had seemed much more ... personal. Intimate, even. Searching his eyes briefly, she looked for any sign that it had been meant as something more than it was. Still uncertain, she cleared her throat a bit and pointed her finger into his chest, telling him, "Why don't you go get the food and I'll find a movie for us to watch?"

Kaidan nodded and turned to leave the room. "Back in a little bit," he told her with a quick wave over his shoulder.

Micah watched him depart, physically following him out of her room, but her eyes trailed after him as he moved through the apartment towards the exit. She had to admit, she was suddenly feeling a bit ... unnerved by her reaction to him just now. Biting her lip, she turned towards the front of the apartment. Why now? All of a sudden? she wondered as she padded into the room where the vid screen was located. As she started sorting through the movie options, another thought hit her. Did I just not notice before? Was it there all the time and I just ...? She glanced down at the movie she'd selected. It was an old war movie, one she and her father used to watch together on a regular basis, one she usually watched when feeling down and needed a reminder of what she wanted out of life. Swallowing, she mused, Was I too focused? Frowning, she paused to reconsider. Chewing on her lower lip, she debated silently, eventually changing her mind and pulling out the list again, this time paying just a bit more attention to the titles available ...

When Kaidan had walked by her room, he'd seen her standing at the window, staring out at the city beyond. At first, he'd wondered what she might be thinking, but soon realized he could probably make an educated guess. All along, it had been one thing for her, one focus, one goal. Get to this point, enlist, become a marine. It was all 'the plan' she and her father had made so long ago. Her plan. The only plan.

On the far side of the room next to her desk, he'd observed that she'd already packed her bag for her departure the following day. That brought a small smile to his face. Planning ahead, apparently. But at the same time, he'd felt an odd tugging sensation in his chest at the thought that she was quite so eager to leave and move on. After today, their paths would separate, hers leading towards the military, his guiding him home. Though he'd found himself wondering, especially of late, if there wasn't something more there, he'd not dared come between Micah and her dream. And really, if they were no longer going to be around each other, there was no reason to complicate things, right?

His own past experiences had held him back earlier, but now ... Kaidan sighed as he headed down the block towards the sandwich shop. It wasn't fair to her, he reasoned. She had a goal, a purpose. She didn't want or need to be distracted from that. Not when her dreams were so close to coming true. Certainly not by someone like him, so scarred and messed up by his past who could only hold her back from her future. Best to just let it go, let her go and become what she was so clearly meant to be rather than mess it up for her. Right?

Perhaps he took a bit longer than was necessary while waiting on their order, all the while his thoughts churning away inside his head. A final, although quick, side trip into a nearby bakery to grab something sweet for dessert didn't help with timing either, but in the end he figured it would be worth it. They were celebrating, after all. Her birthday. Successful training. Their friendship ...

He sighed again. Timing was everything, he recalled. Obviously, it was not on his side just now.

Kaidan had nearly returned to the flat when he began walking past a boutique shop with a window display that caught his attention. Eyeing it a moment, he hesitated only briefly, for once tossing caution to the wind. Turning, he entered the shop to make the purchase. It was her birthday, after all, and he wanted to give her a present. Besides, it was a silly sort of thing. If she hated it, she didn't have to keep it. If she liked it, all the better. And there was always the chance she might just keep it to ... remember him, right?

Back at the flat a short time later, he carefully juggled his packages and entered quietly. He could hear music playing from the front room and so headed in that direction. Anderson was out for the evening, Kahlee having insisted on having dinner out that night (though Kaidan suspected that Kahlee had done this on purpose and while he appreciated the thought, it was rather a moot point just now). Whatever the case, he was well aware that it left him and Micah alone.

Walking through the kitchen, Kaidan found himself coming to a sudden halt at the doorway to the front room. Music still playing, he discovered Micah standing in the middle of the room, back to him, but singing softly along with the song, stepping lightly and swaying to the tune. For the longest moment, all he could do was stand there, quietly watching her in wonder. In that moment, as she moved (danced? He wasn't quite certain, but whatever it qualified as, it had a certain grace of movement that indicated she would be quite the sight upon a battlefield) he could almost envision her as she would be - in uniform, charging across the battlefield while fighting, defending, fulfilling her duties as a marine. Yet another reminder of what she was destined for.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he moved to set the food and his gift aside on the countertop before taking a few steps into the room. His footsteps were nearly silent on the carpet, so he paused a step or two away from her, cleared his throat softly and waited for her to turn. Her gasp was almost loud enough to be heard above the music as she spun around, eyes wide. Damn! He'd startled her after all. "Kaidan!" she breathed, and he could see her body relax in relief.

He offered a smile of apology. "Sorry," he told her as he closed the distance between them. "I was trying to not scare you."

Her laugh still seemed a bit breathy as she looked up at him. It was then, as her eyes met his, that he noticed a nervousness in them he'd not seen before he left. Lifting a hand, he placed it on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "I did, didn't I?" He saw her eyes narrow in confusion. "Scare you," he clarified.

"What? Oh. No," she insisted in a rushed voice. "Not really. Just ... I didn't hear you come in ..."

The songs changed over just then and he saw her glance away. Still, whatever that look in her eyes had been seemed to be there, and it had him concerned. Moving his hand, he caught the edge of her chin and attempted to tilt it up so she would look at him. She struggled briefly, but eventually gave in. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern marking his features.

"N-nothing," she insisted as their eyes met. But Kaidan could tell she wasn't being truthful. If it hadn't been the stuttering reply, it would have been the almost 'deer caught in headlights' sort of look he found in her eyes. "I'm just ... I ..." He heard her voice trail off, but she still held his gaze as he searched hers. Recognition of what he saw there was a slow realization, but it finally hit him as his eyes began to widen in surprise as hers followed suit. "Kaidan?"

Something in her tone triggered that same tugging sensation he'd felt earlier, only this time, instead of over analyzing it, of focusing all of his attention to staying controlled and determined to do what was best for her, he gave in to a moment of impulse and leaned towards her.

Micah gasped softly, eyes closing as Kaidan moved across the last bit of distance between them, leaning in to kiss her. Once the contact had been made, she found she could do nothing but sigh and return it. As his fingers began threading through her hair, tilting her head just a bit in the process, her own hands rose to rest lightly against his chest. The warmth and sweetness of the kiss had her wishing it would never end.

When finally it did, though, she opened her eyes once more and met his. In that moment, she found a reflection of what she herself had been feeling. "Kaidan?" she breathed, her voice a bit ragged as she struggled to even it out.

"Micah, I'm -" Her breath caught as she waited for him to finish. He sighed, his eyes closing tightly for a moment as he ran a hand through his hair in what looked like frustration. And suddenly, she knew. He was going to apologize ... to erase what had just happened. A part of her felt hurt at that thought. But then again, that same part of her realized it probably was for the best. It didn't matter that ...

His eyes opened again and she met them once more, but she was surprised to notice a sort of resignation there. "Hell, who am I kidding," he muttered, his hand dropping back to caress her cheek lightly. "I'm not sorry at all."

Micah found herself laughing in surprised relief then, softly, and she covered his hand with her own. "I'm glad you aren't," she told him, a cheeky smile playing at her lips, a matching twinkle lighting her eyes. "I would hate to have to hurt you for that sort of reaction."

Kaidan laughed with her then. She leaned towards him as he pressed his forehead to hers briefly before countering lightly, "Yeah, I would have hated for you to have to try."

Taking a deep breath, she took a step back, all the time keeping her eyes on his. When his hand dropped to take hers, she squeezed it reassuringly before following him over to the couch where they both sat. She moved beside him, leaning into his shoulder when his arm draped around her, but their hands remained joined. After a moment of staring at them, she turned to lift her gaze back to his. "So ..."

She noticed the corner of one of his eyes twitch slightly. "Yeah."

Squeezing his hand, she searched his eyes. This wouldn't, couldn't, change anything at this point, and she suspected he knew that. However ... "Um ... What now then?"

He released her hand then, and Micah suddenly felt ... alone. Pulling her lip between her teeth, she tried to mask her concern, but she must not have succeeded because his hand moved to stroke her cheek gently, thumb brushing just beneath her eye. "I don't know," he told her quietly. "I can't - won't - get in the way of your career. You've worked too hard for this."

She nodded, felt his thumb continue to run along the skin of her cheek. "We could ... write each other? Meet up when I have leave?" she suggested. When she saw him start to frown, she added quickly, "We're friends, right? Friends meet up occasionally ..."

Kaidan sighed, surprised by his own sudden reluctance. Or, rather, hesitation. Reluctance wasn't quite right. It wasn't that he didn't want to meet up with her at all. Right? "We could ... maybe," he finally agreed. If he were truthful with himself, this had been more or less what he'd been hoping for ... but that had been before he'd kissed her. Before he'd thrown caution to the wind and started things down a much more complicated path for them both. Should he take that chance that he might ruin things for her by becoming a distraction? On the other hand, having this with her was an opportunity he couldn't just toss that out the window. And she didn't seem to want that either.

He sighed again before leaning over to place a gentle, chaste kiss on her forehead. "But first," he told her as he rose to his feet, "we should eat." He dared a quick look at her before he turned away and saw her nodding, though she seemed a bit distracted. "I got sandwiches, chips." He gave her a slightly wicked grin. "Dessert."

He laughed when he heard her groan. If he'd learned one thing about her since meeting her it was that she had one hell of a sweet tooth. "You didn't!" she groaned.

Crossing the room, he retrieved the bag with sandwiches and chips before returning to sit beside her. "Dinner first," he teased as he handed her one of the sandwiches. "Then you'll see."

She gave him a mock scowl, elbowing him lightly as she took the sandwich which only caused him to laugh more. "You are evil!" she pouted.

"Maybe just a little," he admitted as he sat back on the couch. After taking a bite of his sandwich, he glanced over at her. "So, what movie did you decide on?"

She spared a quick glance over at him and he found the look on her face difficult to read. Nervousness? Concern? What was going on? "Um, an old one," she admitted. "Called 'Return to Me.' I hadn't seen it for a while ..."

Kaidan wasn't familiar with it, but content to sit back and enjoy the time they had together, he smiled reassuringly at her. "Alright. Sounds good." At her questioning look, he added, "Your choice, remember?"

Movie over (she'd forgotten how sappy it could be, but it was a fun one to watch with him), two slices of dessert eaten (with more accusations of his evil nature as he'd unveiled the delightful cheesecake), they had turned the music back on as they sat around talking. Kaidan remained on the couch, but Micah had shifted to the floor, her back leaning against both the couch and his leg in quiet contentment. As birthdays went, this definitely was high on her list of memorable ones. The last two had been ... well, forgettable, to say the least. Between her own personal pain and her mother's, it had been remarkable that it had been remembered. Celebration had not even been a consideration, not that Micah regretted it. At the time, it wouldn't have done anyone any good. But this time ...

"Oh!"

She leaned off to the side as Kaidan rose after his exclamation, frowning as he crossed the room towards the kitchen. "Oh god," she groaned, eyes closing, "no more food! I'm stuffed!" His only response was to chuckle in amusement. Pursing her lips, she muttered, "Don't make me kill you," but there was no heat behind the words.

"Keep your eyes shut," he warned mildly.

Sighing, she did as he asked. "Dammit, Kaidan, no more, okay? Seriously, I couldn't -"

"Put your arms out," he instructed, his voice nearer this time.

Obediently, she did so ... and squeaked in surprise, eyes flying open, as he dropped something into her hands. "What ...?"

"Happy birthday," he told her simply, moving to retake his seat on the couch.

Micah stared at the present in her hands, turning so she could face him. Offering him a somewhat shy and bemused smile, she still could not hide her excitement as she eyed it. When had been the last time she'd become this excited over a birthday gift? Not since her father had died, that much was certain. "Kaidan, you didn't have to get -"

"I wanted to," he told her. The easy smile he offered helped her nerves to settle somewhat. "It's just a little something," he added casually.

"Thank you."

After another moment in which she simply sat there staring at the wrapped package, he teased, "You know, the paper comes off ... the gift is inside."

Micah rolled her eyes, but he'd brought her out of her thoughts at least. "Right," she murmured, fingers moving to tear the paper off. Beneath, she found a box about the size of a shoebox. Frowning, she worked one end open, wondering if he'd bought her a pair of shoes or something ... "Oh!" Hand sliding into the box, Micah felt something soft and furry. Pulling the item out, she quickly realized what it was. "Oh, Kaidan!" she breathed, a soft smile forming at her lips. "He's adorable!"

Okay, he thought, so a teddy bear might have been a slightly ridiculous idea for a present, but no one would ever be able to successfully convince him of that upon seeing her reaction to his gift. The moment she had it out of the box, she held it before her in both hands before laughing in delight and hugging it. He found it slightly amusing that someone as dedicated to becoming a soldier as she was could fall into such peals of delight over something as simple and silly as a child's toy. "I'm glad you like him," he finally returned, unable to keep from smiling. Her enjoyment was contagious.

She chuckled softly, eyes rising to meet his. "I do!" she assured him with enthusiasm. He wondered if he ought to be the least bit concerned by the wicked twinkle he saw in her gaze then. "And I have the perfect name for him."

Alarm bells began sounding in the back of his head as he ventured somewhat hesitantly, "You do?"

She nodded and leaned in over him, her voice dropping to an exaggerated whisper as she told him, "Kaidan-bear."

He blinked. "Kaida -" he started repeating before it broke off into a soft groan. "Are you serious?"

Micah grinned, her delight escaping in the sound of her laughter as she nodded. "Completely."

Sighing, he rolled his eyes. "Sounds like a silly name for a bear," he murmured. As he spoke, he kept his eyes upon her. He hoped she wouldn't take that comment badly. He certainly wasn't trying to criticize her or anything, just...

"Well," she challenged, "what would you name it then?"

"I -" Caught completely off guard, Kaidan closed his mouth and gave her a bewildered look. He had absolutely no idea what one should call a stuffed bear. Certainly, as a young child he'd had some, but ... had he named them? What did one call a bear? Perplexed, he glanced over at her, noting as he did that she'd moved back up to sit on the couch beside him. Avenues for potential distraction were now, quite literally, within reach. Perhaps it was time to derail this topic of conversation ... "Ted."

He almost laughed at the look of confusion that hit her then. "Ted?"

He nodded, leaning over towards her, mimicking her earlier behavior as he whispered, "Ted E. Bear." She groaned loudly at his pun, punching him on the arm, and he took that as his cue. Lurching forward, he pinned her back on the sofa, the still-to-be-officially-named-bear falling harmlessly to the floor. He knew he'd caught her off guard when all he heard from her was a sharp gasp, saw her eyes widen as they met his, felt her go completely still beneath him. For a very long moment, he simply stared into her eyes ... and felt as if he was drowning in them. Thing was, he could see that she was doing the same. "Micah ..."

She pulled a hand free and moved two fingers to cover his lips just then. "We'll stay in touch," she whispered fervently, eyes flaring with some mixture of emotions he couldn't even begin to identify. "Meet up when we can. Talk. Send messages."

Kaidan nodded and replied around her fingertip blockade, "Get to know each other better."

This time she nodded. "This ... this isn't over," she added. He nodded again. "Not by a long shot."

"Not even close," he confirmed before closing the distance and kissing her again. They might only have a few hours left together just now, but despite that, despite her personal goals, despite everything that he'd thought might conspire against them, it seemed as if she wanted to hold onto hope. The hope that, now that he looked back on it, had been deep in her eyes that first day, months before, in the hospital when he'd stepped forward to offer assistance. If he was truly honest with himself, he knew he couldn't deny her that. After all, she'd proven to him that she could make her dreams happen. So, if she wanted this as much as he did, why shouldn't they try? Why deny themselves the chance? There was no guarantee that it would work, but given her track record so far, he figured they had a better chance than most to succeed.

_Fin_

* * *

_**A/N: **__This brings us to an end of Mass Effect: Ascendance. Thanks to all who have read and followed this story! This is the first of two background pieces for Micah - the second (Mass Effect: Liberation) will be starting up here soon, but this felt like a good breaking point. _

_Also a small side note - the reference to "Kaidan-bear" is a bit of a tribute to my nephew, named Caidan, who has had some serious health issues since birth (but is doing much better now!) and has been such a trooper and a fighter through it all. He took on that moniker at a very young age, and given the name similarities with Kaidan, I just couldn't resist bringing it into Micah's story!_


End file.
